Turkeys are domestic (farm) birds that were originally bred from wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopo). The adult female turkey is called a hen, the adult male is called a tom, and the young are called poults. A group of turkeys is called a rafter. Over 300,000,000 turkeys are raised in the USA each year.

Anatomy: The tom turkey is larger and more brightly colored than the hen. Toms grow to be up to about 30 pounds (13.5 kg). Turkey eggs are tan with brown spots; they are a little bigger than chicken eggs. Poults are brown.

Diet: Turkeys have a varied diet. They eat insects, worms, fruit, seeds, acorns, grains, slugs, snails, and many other foods. They have a well-developed gizzard (a part of the stomach that contains tiny stones) that grinds up their food.